Identity Exposed

"I'll continue finding them on prison block 7. Try to see where the group of Yower was captured. Oh, remember, the 'key' you are holding would be essential to our plan. Okay?"

Nodding his head, Isaac turned around and proceed to find the other people.

I also bid my farewell and walked in the opposite direction of his.

'The Justice would be coming any minute now… Since this is the center of the maze, they would flock in here, and… after the numbers of the victims have been reduced, I'll give the signal,'

With everything being laid on the table, the only matter that needed to focus our attention on was where to put the explosives and we have to do it silently.

Having five explosives in my hand, I swiftly made my way through prison block 7. Checking carefully the people inside each cell, I nodded my head and confirm my suspicion.

'Both Lori and Drake would really meet Isaac along the way.'

Those 'coincidences' in the novel felt really absurd and seeing that they weren't here made me completely relaxed since, for now, it indicated that they're safe, at the same, the novel description was only changed a little bit.

Yet, I knew that if I directed my thinking on keeping the timeline as it is, everything would go bad or worse.

If you had the power to change something, why not do it?

'All good, then,'

It was at that moment that I shifted my attention to planting the explosives where I see fit. It should be in a place where it would work effectively.

'Right, I wonder what that place is,'

Looking ahead, I saw a walled place which is located in the middle of the prison where the inside of it is unknown. It's big but not bigger if this whole prison was combined to compare each other

To describe the middle of the maze, this whole and the gigantic dome were in the middle. Yet, the prison isn't the center yet but that walled place.

Yet for some reason, my instincts are telling me that I knew about it and I already have a hunch.

'It's where the /Rite Of Massacre/ originated isn't it?'

I asked myself, fully resolving myself to destroy this place. If my action would sacrifice a lot of people but with a definite reason, I wouldn't hesitate anything.

It had to be done. There's no question asked.

'Guilt would eat me though…'

…

'Pheww…' Wiping the sweat that formed on my forehead before putting the robe back on, I heaved a sigh of relief, 'I managed to put at least four explosives quietly. And… more and more people are coming in this direction. Most of them are the people who are stationed, outside the prison, meaning they came from the maze.

'Does that mean that something is going on outside of this place? Yes, it must be. The faces of those people who weren't wearing robes expression are quite unsettling. They were supposed to be afraid yet they showed vigor and are very excited about what's to come.'

I set aside their reaction and thought of one thing, 'They are here!'

Clenching my fist tightly, I smiled faintly.

With my pursuit of placing the last explosives in some place, I swiftly made my way through the crowd when suddenly, a person appeared right in front of me, putting me to stop.

"Hello there,"

Almost bumping my face with his, I immediately stopped in my tracks. A sense of wariness washed over me as I watch the man in my front, not comprehending what was happening at the moment.

"You are really suspicious, my guy," Trov spoke in a joking manner, "Hehe, well, you are indeed the suspicious person I was trying to find! Wow, as they said, coincidences are freaky,"

"…I don't know what you are talking about,"

"Oh?"

Trov, seemingly amused, raised his hand in a swift manner that I failed to act very fast. i could only watch him snap his fingers while chills runs down my spine.

Whoosh—!

Unable to do anything and thinking something already happened to me, air blew past my head, removing the robe that covers my face, and revealing it to Trov and others nearby.

"Never expecting the trash son of Duke Verl here," Trov spoke half surprised, half in doubt, "We never found you on the road a few days back. Where were you?"

He paused as a frown appeared on his face, "And were you the person we're trying to find? No, that can't be. Our intel said you don't have the strength to do it yet for some reason, my intuition is telling me something."

"What a scary intuition but believe me or not, I'm just a normal civilian. A complete nobody," I answered as my mouth twitched, "Your intel is probably right,"

"Well, that makes me more not to believe it," Trov spoke as he grab the machete that is placed on his back and pointed it at me, "All right, since you are here, quietly follow us and we'll place you to your prison cell,"

"Why would I do that?"

Trov, with a bemused expression, smiled faintly, "Because I said so. And believe me, you don't want this to be hard, trash,"

Chatter—!

It was at that moment that the surrounding which has been silent for a minute started to move and talked by themselves. With Trov leading them, there's nothing to worry about, especially since he was a Progression 3 Ruiner.

'The difference in our progression is too far. I might be able to hold on but not longer if I decided to fight. If I escape, I would be easily captured since I was surrounded by enemies. My identity is exposed and I am running out of options…'

I paused, 'Or was I?'

Since Isaac was still doing his task that could occur anytime which will be used after I left in this enclosed space, I changed my thinking.

Seeing that there's not much happening yet till now can only mean he wasn't done with his job on that 'key' the system gave to him.

Though it looked like a normal key on the outside, the moment his system give something to him, I knew it was extraordinary. Of course, it would only work here since the key was a perfect match for unlocking things like a prison cell.

I was about to slowly grab something out from my back when I heard a warning from my front.

"Don't do anything stupid,"

"I'm just bringing my weapons down,"

Answering him though he didn't ask, I carefully reached to my back while eyeing the people, who is slowly moving forward.

The moment I grabbed something from my back, I swiftly retraced my steps before jumping, throwing the pouch of the bag mid-air.

Letting out a cough, while seeing everyone moving slowly as if time slowly passed, I shouted, using the power of the Piece, Swindler: Topic Shifting.

"Look! That bag has a bomb inside!"

The people in the vicinity had their heads gaze move like a broken clog, unable to control on its own as they shifted their attention to the bag even though they wanted to look at me.

That was the essence of the Topic Shifting. They were focused on me but once I used the power of the Swindler, shifting the topic wouldn't be hard.

"Inside the bag is a bomb! You better watch out!" I continued, coughing out a mouthful of blood from my mouth.

Looking at Trov's enraged face, I gave him a playful wink before sprinting away from this place, and in a minute of giving my wall, I was successful in escaping.

At that same time, I knew the power of topic shifting has ended.

Right, in that situation where there is no escape route, I knew I just have to make one. Topic control and topic shifting are something that I could do, in exchange for exhausting myself.

'There really is nothing in there.' I mused inwardly, carefully carrying the explosive in my hand, 'That bag just has miscellaneous things. Nothing worthy about it,'

Since my identity was already known, even if Trov wasn't sure if I was the one who killed his men, he would probably move after the effects of the power. He knew he couldn't delay it and the same was said about my situation.

'It's about the race of time now,'

Now that people are moving here like waves since the danger outside of this prison is imminent, it's not safe to stay here any longer as any minute, it would be swarmed by the soldiers and troops from the capital.

And, knowing this thought, I'm sure Trov is already aware. With that being said, I continued on my journey while wiping the bloodstain on my mouth.

…

"What kind of power is that?"

"Sir Trov, that guy is a Ruiner?"

"What should we do now, sir?"

Trov, still wearing a confident expression, reassured the people in the vicinity that everything is under control, answering their concerns one after another. After ten minutes, the situation had calmed down and Trov began thinking for himself.

'That is a power of a grayish color Piece characteristic? The power it holds, though only little for now, looked already a developed Piece. No, Demolisher had rumored at least two or three grey Piece and when he consume them, they also looked like a developed Piece. Furthermore, If I'm correct, then it was probably the Piece that was stolen in that place,'

Trov's gaze shifted to the middle of the dome where personnel that wasn't available wouldn't be able to enter that place. That was where they keep some of the Piece the Saviours possessed.

Even though this is only the branch, every place is important as this to them.

'Once I advanced to Progression 4, I'll be able to look at it.' Clenching his fist, Trov continued inwardly as he smiled, 'Because, in the first place, our mission is to save this world from those who wanted to destroy it,'

…

"Cough! Cough! Finally…"

Placing the explosives at some place on my side, I coughed out a plentiful of blood from my mouth before wiping them.

"Now that settles it,"

Avoiding all those unsettling eyes from everywhere on finding me, I finally place the last explosive after an hour.

It was going very well on my side that I even find it unbelievable, but it made me positive that this could end on our side really well.

Though... that was just wishful thinking.

Swoosh—!

Yet just as everything was going well, a strong, terrifying, and mind-blogging aura was felt, not just by me, but by everyone in this place.

Swoosh—!

One by one, the heads of everyone inside the prison slowly move their heads into the middle of this place that everyone couldn't enter just by being a member. It was the place where selected members could go in and out.

It was also the place where a terrifying aura was felt.

'It can't be…'

It was also at that moment that everyone who was inside this place heard a deafening scream. It didn't sound similar to despair yet one that is delighted.